


Painting Metalheads

by yeahwrite



Category: G.I. Joe (IDW Comics), G.I. Joe - All Media Types, The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Bonding, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Pre-Relationship, Skywarp is a massive, Tattoos, Tsundere, Tsundere Seeker, Xenophilia, bad language/cursing, chatting, excessive harm is done to ceilings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 20:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16353743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeahwrite/pseuds/yeahwrite
Summary: Two GI Joes spend some time casually listening to some music together.Or, as casually as one can when one of those Joes is a giant metal alien who doesn't quite fit in the room they are in.And then they have a talk.





	Painting Metalheads

**Author's Note:**

> Have to say, writing this felt like wrestling a giant metal plane with how much of a Tsundere Skywarp is, but I ship the two too much to not have done it.
> 
> And during the backstory research I did for this, I also learned that it turns out Rock 'n Roll canonically used to be a Jem and the Holograms roadie! Which I am glad to now be able to know.
> 
> Hope all of you reading enjoy reading!

The room was _unbearably_ cramped.

Low ceiling, walls far too close together, you could immediately tell that it was only built with some of those unbearable, squishy insects in mind.

Which is why there was still a massive, cracked dent at the top of it.

That being from a time before that Skywarp had sat in here.

Sat, with one of the only _marginally bearable_ insects that there was on this wretched planet whose company he could _tolerate._

Which was, of course, the _only_ reason he increasingly spent more and more time with the stupid human, whether when free or on missions.

_Of course!_

Although, hmph, well, he _had_ come to _begrudgingly_ admit to himself that the furry human wasn’t _bad_ company to tolerate either - for an _insect_ anyway!

Had good taste in music for one thing, preferring a genre that the squishies called “heavy metal”.

A term Skywarp had used to think was some sort of poorly veiled reference to _him_ , when he’d heard it being said for the first time.

In hindsight, perhaps _that_ was to do with how he wound up regularly in this room, listening to loud human music.

Rock ‘n roll being as _enthused_ as he was after that revelation to introduce some ‘ _epic riffs’_ to him.

Yes.

 _That_ was it.

That was why he was here in this tiny, awful section of an awful place.

Listening sometimes, talking others – it was _here_ he’d found out that Rock ‘n Roll’s original, real name _wasn’t Rock ‘n Roll._

Got told he could call him “Craig” while alone, if he wanted.

_As if._

He decided _very_ quickly that he liked _“Rock ‘n Roll”_ much, much better than that weird, alien sounding “ _Craig”._

After all, Rock ‘n Roll sounded like a proper, _Cybertronian_ name – if, a poorly translated one, reduced to only basic _phonetics._

He could always _pretend_ with that, if he didn’t _look._

And any respectable company would assume he was talking about a colonist, were he to bring him up in conversation.

Or at least they _would_ …had he…well, any respectable company _left_ to talk to, since he’d been stranded here…

…

… _Anyway_ , currently, with the company he _did_ have, he’d found his attention caught by something about his human ally.

 And he _may_ or _may not_ have been staring.

Something which that ally noticed.

Or at least, _thought_ he had noticed, since he _wasn’t_ staring.

“What you looking at there, dude?”

“Nothing!” Skywarp snapped, looking away quickly, refusing to let his wings move even _a single inch_ as he did.

Like they would if he _had_ genuinely been caught out staring at something.

“Yeah you were.” Rock ‘n roll said jovially, a teasing look on his face.

“Spit it out.” He cheerily patted him, giving off a few solid _thumps_ as he did.

With _anyone_ else he would _never_ let them just put their oily pore-filled selves all over him like that.

They could only ever _touch him_ if it was to _try fix his teleportation_ \- or some _other_ sort of damage.

But this was Rock ‘n Roll.

And, just like he was the only one who could ride inside of the seeker, he was _also_ the only one who the seeker would let get away with casually _‘patting him affectionately’._

Which is why Warp twitched slightly, but ultimately let it slide.

“Your decals.” Skywarp then admitted, refocusing and looking down at them again, adorned all over the human’s arms like some sort of art.

“Oh, these?” The human looked at them himself, lifting his arms up to look at them.

Then he looked back at the purple and black jet, before giving those arms a flex to show off all the paint that adorned it.

The effect of that was _odd._

There were…lines…like _wiring_ bulging out as he did, and the flesh _moved_ like...like _something odd!_

He could respect what it meant though.

Appreciate it, even.

 _Now_ , anyway.

Gross as it was, he’d been told such - ‘ _buffness_ ’ as it was called - was the frame of a _warrior._

And Rock was _certainly_ a respectable warrior, who had _more_ than earned that buffness.

As such, Skywarp could certainly respect and even _admire_ it, along with what it deservedly told about the organic.

Not that he’d ever _admit_ to that.

“They’re sick, right? What about them?”

“Do they-?”

 _Ugh_ , this was embarrassing.

 “-do they _mean_ anything? Or are they just for embellishment?”

“Mean anything? Well, yeah, they do to me.” Rock hunched over then, resting his arms on his lap instead of hoisted upwards.

But the decals were very much still on display.

As always.

“They’re important. Could never get rid of them.”

“No! No, I don’t mean like _that._ About sentimental _nonsense._ ” Skywarp scoffed, folding his arms and wings hiking as he did.

A mistake, as they then proceeded to smack into the top of the ceiling with a resounding _crack_ , causing even further damage to the already battered and stupidly low thing _and – to make it even worse -_ dust from it to spill out onto the agitated metal Joe bellow.

“ _Never mind._ ”  He then grumbled, as his wings slowly, carefully moved down, sending a further caking of dust spiralling down onto bellow.

They’d…probably have to report that, some point.

Again.

But the immediate priority for now was getting at the dust now caking him off, grumbling about the whole thing as he did.

At least the entire thing hadn’t collapsed.

It wouldn’t have hurt him, and he knew he could have and _would_ have shielded Rock easily – potential physical harm wasn’t the issue here - but he just _knew_ that the rest of the Joes would _bother_ him about it, if it had collapsed.

They might even stop him coming in here with Rock which - _hmm._

Well, he’d…he’d rather they _didn’t._

As _for_ Rock, he meanwhile was vigorously shaking off what dust had fallen onto _him_ , with an ‘ _oh man’_ as he did.

No need to worry for _him_ about smacking ceilings.

But once the shaking was all finished with, _something_ seemed to be bothering him.

Rock’s brow was furrowed, flesh on his face crinkling.

“Not a never mind thing if you’re breaking the ceiling over it. Scarlett’s gonna kill us if we keep doing that.”

“How am _I_ supposed to help with that? It’s _tiny_ in here! I can’t _move_ without breaking something.”

“Yeah, I don’t mind when you do it by _accident_ because _you don’t fit,_ my dude. But you did it _that_ time because you were busy being an _ass_.”

Skywarp _would_ scowl at _that,_ were he not _already_ scowling.  

So, he settled with making an indignant sound instead to emphasise his point.

“Seriously, _you_ were the one who asked to chill out today-”

“I did _not_ say ‘ _chill out’_!”

“-and now you’re back to acting like a grouch. About my _tats?!”_ Rock’s head moved over to the contraption still dutifully playing their music, as if considering turning it off-

“What is it about-?”

\- before looking back over at Warp again.

First at his face, before the gaze lowered down to a wing.

_“-Right.”_

Then the crinkles went all away.

“Y’meant, have meaning like _yours._ ” He stated, as he then ruffled the fur on the top of his head.

Skywarp gave a half-nod, reluctant curiosity winning out over pride.

“Not _quite_ like mine. _You_ haven’t fought a four-million-year long war over any of yours. But-”

“Faction, ideology, that sort of thing.”  Was filled in for him.

Well.

That put it quite aptly.

“Yes.”

Rock made a weird puffing sort of venting sound, as he straightened himself back up, patting a leg of his.

“Dunno…none of them _your_ sort of scale man, but some mark things.”

Skywarp could not _physically bring himself_ to crouch down any lower for a closer look at this point, hunched up as he already was, but the temptation to was certainly _there._

He wasn’t _expecting_ it to be on any sort of _his_ scale, but he still wanted to know what sort of thing would be _so important_ to this human, so as to cause himself to be marked for it.

 “What _sort_ of things?”

“Well. _Like bands._ ”  He started pointing out a few specific decals.

“Join a group, go out and get tats together. Was like an _initiation_ for some of ‘em.”

“An initiation.”

Well, Skywarp was _certainly_ familiar with that sort of concept when it came to alterations to frame.

But-

“For _bands?”_ He teased, breaking out into a smirk. 

“You and your _music_. Declaring _allegiance_ for it.”

“ _Come on_ dude. Wasn’t an _allegiance._ Just a thing that some non- _jerk_ teammates did together.”

_“Poor them.”_

“Besides, _jerk-_ ” Rock shrugged there, barely giving Skywarp’s jibe a response.

“-Not like it _worked out_ anyway.”

The insect looked oddly unperturbed by that confession, but Skywarp’s own smirk faded then.

“Sometimes it doesn’t.” He replied, curtly, closing off his facial expressions entirely.

Rock leaned back then, as he angled for a better look at Warp’s face.

“Not always a _bad_ thing though, is it? When something goes to hell.”

An incredulous snort.

“I mean, _man_ …” He shook his head, causing the yellow fur on it to swoosh.

“Ended up _here_ because things did for us, didn’t we? That ain’t a bad thing. It’s home, with family. And if some things had to go bad along the way to get here…”

A smile.

“Well that ain’t so bad. Worth it.”

Skywarp looked carefully, mutely over the human, blank face hiding the turmoil of many, _many_ chaotic, clashing thoughts pounding away and yelling in his processor.

“ _Hmph_.”

There was a look on Rock, that made the seeker briefly concerned that he might have seen past his expression and be about to press further into the matter.

But, if he did, he didn’t mention it.

Because the next thing brought up by him was a-

“And hey! Me and _‘my music’_.” He pointed accusingly right up at him then.

“ _You_ like it too!”

A statement _significantly_ supported by the fact they had – and technically still _were_ , with it still playing – been right in the middle of listening to just that sort of music.

“It’s a lot better than most of the scrap this planet produces. Has good riffs.” Skywarp gave it that much.

“Yeah right it does!”

“How about _your_ riffs?” Skywarp drawled out.

The surprise at being asked this was quite visible on the human bellow.

_“Mine?!”_

“You said you were in bands. I _assume_ you made _some_.”

A measure of what was undeniably _excitement_ flashed onto the human’s face then.

“Nothing epic like any of the legends, but we _did_ make some pretty great stuff.”

“Pretty great? Says a _biased_ party.”

Same as how _Thundercracker_ would insist that _his_ outlier abilities were somehow…

_…But he wasn’t about to think about any of that._

“If you could _not_ be a jerk the entire time - you could have a listen if you wanna. See what you think.”

Now that – _that_ piqued Skywarp’s interest _fast._

And he perhaps even – _just the slightest, teeniest of bit_ – found himself flustered a bit by an offer like that.

He’d just been being _snarky_. Making some _snide comments._

He hadn’t expected _this_ to end up being the result like that.

_He hadn’t thought this far ahead._

“Oh?” He spoke in an enforced causal manner

Rock looked on expectantly for more of an answer than that.

Once again, through sheer force of will, Warp made sure his wings stayed _down._

“It’s whatever. Play it to me if you like.” He looked over his digits in a manner he hoped conveyed the upmost disinterest, away from that expectant face.

But from the tone of the human, he had a bad feeling that he didn’t quite _buy_ that portrayed disinterest.

“Next time we hang then, prepare your ears – or _whatever_ \- to be serenaded by some of my killer tunes! Could do something live for you, if you want. Hell, I’m _asking!_ Gotta take any chance I can _get_ to play these days.”

In a combination of trying to keep his wings down, Warp was also now trying to keep the treacherous corner of his mouth from smiling.

Which he accomplished by wearing a deep _frown_ instead.

“When?”

“I dunno…tomorrow? Or Friday. Hell, not like either of us are _busy_ then, unless something world-threatening comes up. If it does, we’ll move it.”

Well, that _was_ true.

There was _every possible chance_ that something _would_ come up again that would result in the Joes having to go deal with it…but if it didn’t….

He _really_ at this point didn’t have _any_ excuse to get out of this now, other than to simply say he didn’t _want_ to hang out.

Which…Primus help him, _wasn’t_ true.

“It’s a date then.” _He agreed to it._

The corners of his mouth turned treacherously upwards as he did, matching those on Rock’s own face - and as such it was also then that Skywarp realised this was getting _too sappy and too nice with this pathetic insect!_

_This was what being stuck so long on this world was doing to him!_

_It was affecting him!_

“I take it, it _is_ some Heavy Metal we’ll be listening too - and not like your _Holograms_.” He snapped out of the little _happy stupor_ he’d been in and snidely jabbed, thankfully recovering the situation at hand.

“Got any decals for _them?”_

“Hey! No diss, you’d be lucky if I was anywhere _near_ as great as them!” Rock passionately, predictably, objected to this slander.

Then came the next part: “And nothing I’m showing _you, man.”_

“Wait, _what?!”_

Yet another case of a statement of his going on much further than he had intended it too.

_Rock had what?!_

Well then. Only one thing to do now with _that_ knowledge!

“Show me!” He demanded.

“Nah.”

_“Where is it?!”_

“Not showing you that one.”

“But-!”

“That’s what you get for being a dick.”

Skywarp glowered as a rumble formed in his engine.

“If you don’t _shake the roof_ by doing that, I can show you one I got while I was roadying for them. Have a story behind _that_ one.”

The rumbling stopped.

And Rock ‘n Roll took that as cue to start taking the strange material covering his organic chassis off.

Giving Skywarp a further good look at that admirable warrior’s frame of his - and the _commendable_ buffness that it possessed.

Rock pointed over to some of the paint on it.

“Y’see that?”

“The paint is obvious.”

“Anything else?” Rock lead on, furred brow ridges arched expectantly.

  _Anything else?!_

Skywarp’s optics carefully scanned over every little aspect of Rock’s exposed chassis, taking in every little detail of it.

“ _More_ paint.”

“That it?”

“Looking for compliments, are we?”

Skywarp then muttered dourly, optics narrowing as he suspected what the human was actually trying to draw his attention to.

As if it was impossible not to have already noticed.

This was the sort of behaviour he was more than used to having to deal with through Starscream, but he had never expected it of the Joe.

“Have I not sufficiently complimented your _warrior’s frame?_ Would you like me to go on about your _impressive buffness?”_

Behind the whiskers covering his lower face, the seeker saw the human break out into a massive smile.

“ _Aww,_ think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me ‘Warp!”

Skywarp practically _spluttered_ as he felt his spark lurch from within his chassis.

 _“I wasn’t being nice!”_ He protested, wings giving off a miniscule twitch of alarm that still managed to send a fresh coating of ceiling dust down onto him.

At least there was no more actual _damage_ this time.

“No worries man, I won’t be telling anybody.”  A _shh_ motion from the organic as he gave his organic optics a roll.

“Our secret that you’re not a _complete_ asshat.”

“Thank you.” Was replied graciously, as the purple, 30 ft tall killing machine tried once again to remove ceiling dust from himself before it sank into his seams.

A distraction, at least, from how bizarrely flustered he’d found himself getting.

“Besides, I _wasn’t.”_

“Wasn’t what?”

“Lookin’ for compliments.”  He traced a finger across the paint, in a diagonal line.

“Trying to show you this. But yer too high up to see it, aren’t you?”

“I _see t_ he decal.”

He’d even _said so_ already!

“No – the _scar._ ” Rock clarified, mouth turning thin.

“Was moving equipment for a Holograms gig and some _fucker_ tried _mug me for it_.”

“A mistake they regretted.” Skywarp mused without a doubt, a brow ridge arching.

 _This_ was the kind of story he could get behind – of a victory in battle!

Must have been quite a fierce one too, if Rock was willing to leave a wound left by it there as a momento.

 “Too right he did! Beat the _shit_ out of him. Didn’t even notice he’d fucking _stabbed me_ until afterwards.”

“Serves him right. Taking on a warrior like that was a _stupid_ move.” Skywarp found himself feeling a little proud of the human.

He’d seen _veteran Decepticons_ wail and drop too the ground after such an injury like a newly forged MTO, and here Rock was, having not only kept going in a fight after that but having _won_ it.

But…the human did not seem so happy with himself.

“Wasn’t a warrior yet. Just a buff roadie thinking he was tougher than he was. And it was a _stupid_ move, letting myself get stabbed like that.”  He patted at the area that held the – to Skywarp – invisible wound.

“Coulda just…knocked the guy out, but I got carried away and ended up in hospital for it. Covered up the scar as soon as it was healed up.”

“By the paint.” Skywarp filled in obviously.

“By the tat, yeah.”

But…there was something Skywarp didn’t quite _get._

Well, _two_ somethings.

First; why Rock was moping about a victory that hadn’t even held _that_ much about a cost.

Wasn’t even that grievous of a wound he’d received, and the _‘mistake’_ was a common and understandable enough one.

It was like that sometimes.

And _second-_

“Why didn’t you get it removed? Or painted over again?” He asked.

“… _Huh?_ ”

“Well, _primitive_ as your insect’s technology is, that is _still_ a surface wound. _Surely_ you can get it buffed over, or a fresh paint applied, if it really bothers you by being there.”

“Not how it works around here.”  

“ _Seriously?!_ Even _that_ \- well, no _wonder_ you haven’t been able to fix my teleportation then, if simple surface repairs are beyond you lot!”

“Our surfaces are a bit _different t_ han yours, dude. Not as easy to just patch it.” Rock shrugged.

“And-” A bump of a fist against him.

“Just try chill out about that. It’ll get fixed.”

“It _better_.”

It was horrific being trapped like this, unable to do something that was just so natural.

So, natural and so _essential_ to him, like _taking flight._

He was constantly feeling the _need_ to do it, a primal, overpowering thing that, when alone, would reduce him to pitifully shaking from withdrawal and the phantom pains that withdrawal brought with it.

…But he didn’t want to get into that right now.

And so, before Rock got a chance to go into it any further, he _deflected._

“Any more decal stories you’d care to drone on about?”

“’Drone on’ – says the _robot_ who _asked!”_

“I am _not a_ robot or a drone! And I know I asked. I was – am… _slightly_ curious.”

“Funny way of showing it.” Came the mildly exasperated voice of someone _well_ used to dealing with him by now.

Rock then took the material he’d discarded and started putting it back on, much to Skywarp’s disappointment.

“Why are you putting it back on? If you have a frame like yours, you should show it.”

“Because I’m gonna get _cold_ , man, that’s why.”

Hmm.

 _Skywarp_ felt nothing of the sort, but he supposed organics were awfully finicky about these sorts of things.

Slightest change would have them complaining or wounded.

And…he _supposed_ that wouldn’t do.

Couldn’t very well have Rock doing that…that revolting _thing_ where they _leaked_ and needed ‘tissues’ next time he was in his cockpit.

He had limits.

…Still felt a bit _disappointed_ though.

At least his arms with all their buffness were still exposed.

“Ones I haven’t already said are mostly ones I did myself. After the music didn’t work out I thought, hell, gettin’ enough of them, so why not learn? Was fucking _difficult,_ let me tell you. Never studied for any other shit so much in my life. But I did it. Have a certificate and everything.” Rock did that thing where he almost _puffed up_ then, with seeming pride.

“You’re a stylist?” Warp himself then lightly commented, looking over the rest of the visible tattoos in a different sort of light at that revelation.

There weren’t many cybertronian stylists left now to compare too– but he still felt confident in this assessment.

Making frame art like that?

What else could that be _but_ a stylist?

“ _Nah._ Only know tats, not hair or make-up or clothes or _whatever_ for fancying someone up.” An odd clicking sound was made by Rock’s mouth as he shook his head, surprising the seeker with his answer.

Both the nah and with the alien details that _followed_ that nah.

“Didn’t even _want_ to do what I _do_ know as a job or anythin’. Didn’t feel right. Like a purpose. But I didn’t know what else to do back then, so it was – well, it was something that sounded like it would be cool to do for a bit. Useful.”  The human Joe chuckled slightly.

Although it was not a chuckle that _Skywarp_ could relate too.

Being a cold constructed mech from a world of functionalism.

After he was done chuckling though, Rock quickly moved on to instead start listing off a few of the embellishments that he himself had done - not all of which were visible - before pausing and going:

“- _not_ that one. Got that while I was drunk.”

“Or _overcharged_ in your metal alien lingo.” He clarified.

“Completely off my head, black out that night. Funny now, but head _and_ arm regretted that shit the next day.” He gave off a sympathetic wince to his past self.

Oh – now the seeker had a story that could go with _that!_

“Not the _worst_ thing I’ve seen someone do while overcharged.”

He had many, _many_ examples over many years of warfare he could bring up here.

Just a matter of which one he felt like going with right now.

And that one ended up being-

“I was once with a scouting team where someone got overcharged before they even left. Spent the whole time trying to hide it and doing _terribly_ at that. Starscream was _furious!_ Had the gearhead on welding duty for half a _vorn_ after.”

Rock ‘n Roll burst fully into laughter there, doubling over as he did. “ _No goddamn clue_ how long that is, but oh, that poor _idiot!”_

Skywarp allowed himself a sneer and minor chuckle at the idiot himself.

“Not _you_ , was it?”

“No, it was a different seeker - _Redwing_.”

“Then what’s the worst thing _you’v_ e ever done while off your head?”

…Okay, he was not going to tell him the actual worst thing.

 _Far_ too embarrassing.

 _But_ – he _could_ tell him about-

“Got _so_ overcharged that every time someone would look at me, I’d teleport.  Was doing ‘a secret mission’ and couldn’t let anyone see me. Eventually, after long enough of that, just about the entire base was trying to catch and put a warp inhibitor on me.”

“They manage?”

“ _Hah!_ No!” Skywarp barked out a laugh.

“Kept going until I wore myself out and fell into recharge right where I stood.”

Now that was- _Wait!_

_Frag it!_

So much for deflecting!

Back here, to this topic _again._

There was the mood _souring._

 “You sound _great_ drunk. Shame _I’ve_ never seen ye like that. _But_ -”

“You mean _lucky_.” Skywarp corrected and interrupted, looking down at the oh so small and puny organic bellow.

“Someone of _your_ size? Around overcharged cybertronians? We’d squash you like the _bug_ you are and never even notice. Until we found a _smear_ the next solar cycle. And I think we can _both_ agree that would ruin the event.”

And just like that, the mood of _both_ metalheads in the room was rather morbid.

Rock ‘n Roll himself looking the most perturbed of all at this abrupt reminder.

The reminder that, no matter how much more at ease he may get around Skywarp, no matter how much more they might talk and listen to music together – they were still both members of _incredibly_ different species.

And, while a cybertronian could be taken down by a human with an extensive, deliberate amount of co-ordination and fire power…they _themselves_ could take down a human in the same manner that Rock ‘n Roll might accidentally _step on an ant_.

They were _never_ somebody you could just – just go out and have a drink together with, after a job well done.

Or even _shake their hand_ , when one of theirs alone could crush him like he would an empty can of beer.

Warp _himself_ had complained before about how overly careful he had to be when handling him.

Just…so many things that could be taken granted to do with _ease_ with a fellow human, would undoubtedly kill him to even try with a cybertronian.

And when you were forced to think about things like that for any particular period of time…well.

To put it in as polite manner as Rock himself would manage - it could be a right _mindfuck._

“Heh. Yeah. Probably right. For the best not to have a smashed giant guy around us squishies.” He agreed sullenly, leaning back to rest against the wall as he did.

Whatever he’d been about to say after that _‘but’_ being forgotten.

They lapsed about into a just as sullen silence after that too.

Both simply thinking through things respectively as they listened to their music.

But, unlike at the start of this outing – neither of them was really _enjoying_ that anymore.

Just – _doing_ it.

Until-

“Can I ask _you_ somethin’?”  Rock _asked._

Skywarp’s optics narrowed, although he made the decision to let the opportunity to be pedantic pass, too uncertain on what this could possibly be about.

“Depends _what_.”

“I answered all of yer ones about _me_.”

“…I suppose you did.” Was answered slowly, reluctantly.

 _Suspiciously_ , as he waited for whatever question was to come.

It took a bit.

Rock shifted a bit, but, other than the scuffling sounds _that_ resulted in, ultimately seemed mute as once again his face crinkled in thought.

Then it came.

“How about yours? _Your_ tats. Your paint.”

Skywarp’s face immediately contorted, something coupled by his wings dropping down.

“I don’t _have_ any tats.” Came out in a manner far too quick to possibly be misconstrued as _casual._

“Y’know what I mean. Don’t play dumb.” Rock chided, giving him an incredibly pointed look as he did.

Warp gave no response.

Externally, at least.

“We talk about it sometimes.” The human then sighed, upon being given nothing else to go on here.

“Me and some of the other Joes. Most say it’s just because you’re a _dick_ but- but I don’t think you’re _that_ big of a dick.”  Rock folded his arms, giving the seeker a surveying sort of look as he did.

As if it could pick out all of his deepest darkest secrets somehow.

And even though it most certainly _couldn’t_ , that seeker still found himself feeling increasingly uncomfortable about where this conversation could be going.

 “And I _saw_ Thundercracker’s movie-”

_Oh no._

“You _didn’t!”_

“I did.”

“But I said-”

“And I _ignored_ you. We do that to each other sometimes.” A tease, but even the teaser wasn’t quite fully into it.

“But it…it brought up some interesting things. ‘Bout you. Things I’ve been wanting to ask _you_ about, for _your_ input. Not just from some movie.”

“And you ask _now_ , _why?!_ ” Warp snapped, feeling even more confined in here than he had before.

“Well, _you_ brought up allieganal markings first. Seemed like the time.”

“That’s not a word.”

“Time?”

“Don’t _you_ play dumb. _Allieganal!_ ”

Warp turned away as much as he could, not even _caring_ now about the resulting screech of the ceiling or the muck falling into him from it this time!

_It could cover him all for all he cared! Did it enough in here anyway!_

…Then, there was a gentle touch.

A gentle touch, so light he could barely even tell it was there, were it not for the alerts of sensor nets.

Probably meant to be _reassuring._

“I can turn up the music, if you want.” Was spoken as gently as a man like Rock could probably manage. “None of this is gonna leave the room. Whatever happens in here-”

“Stays in here.” Skywarp parroted back a phrase he’d heard about this room several times before.

One used for both things that him and the human had said within, several secrets now being contained within these walls.

One he was concerningly susceptible too, considering it had gotten him to admit to…

…

…to being _lonely._

…

…Upon which Rock had made every effort to spend even _more_ time with him.

Making sure he was alright.

He…

…

…

“…Shouldn’t have asked.”

…Skywarp slowly looked back, at Rock who now had his head in a hand.

“Threw the questions on deep dark personal shit right at you, didn’t I? After what happened with me and the _Fatal Fluffies_ I’m the _last_ guy who should be doing that. Sorry man, forget it. Forget I ever said anything.”

Skywarp mused over.

Over Rock, over the situation happening with him now and over many situations that had happened before.

…

Wings gave off the littlest of twitches.

“ _Eh._ I thought you were relatively _fun_ back then.”

Rock looked at him puzzled. “What?”

“All horned, of a _decent_ actual toughness and size.” Skywarp listed.

“Decent? I t _hrashed_ you, wrecked the mole pods and hurt everyone around me.”

“I wouldn’t say _thrashed,_ you just caught me by surprise with your _huff.”_

“ _Still_ telling you it wasn’t a huff about you not letting me ride you then. Humans don’t just _Hulk Out._ ”

“ _Whatever_. If you were to ‘ _Hulk Out’_ again and just keep saner about it, perhaps we could even _spar_.”

His helm then titled thoughtfully.

“You’d make a decent partner. Or, well, not an _utterly terrible_ one anyway.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment I _think_ you meant it to be. And...not _expectin_ ’ to Hulk Out again but…I’ll keep that offer in mind.” Rock spoke haltingly, face a picture of scepticism and dread.

Clearly viewing the possibility nowhere near as positively as his prospective partner.

But, perhaps he would come around another time and then they could-

…

…Another time.

…It was then that the seeker came to a decision.

If he could say something like _that_ aloud to him, then perhaps…

…just, _perhaps_ he could also say:

“Maybe another solar cycle. Not this one but, another, if you manage to avoid annoying me _too much_. We can talk about my _tats_ then.”  Skywarp vented harshly, deciding to give him at least this bit with how an-annoying he’d been today.

The other Joe looked a combination of shocked and _touched._

“Really, dude, I meant it. You don’t have to talk about the paint-”

“For a start, it _wasn’t_ paint.” Came a much less _harsh_ correction than the one Warp had done before.

“Our badges.” A tap to the chassis, right where - were he to open his plating - one would see the steady blue glow of a spark.

“Only _genericons_ had paint. The rest of us _proper_ Cons had part of our spark casing taken out and _moulded_. Had a ceremony done by Megatron and everything. And if you so much as made a _wince_ while they ripped it out, you’d _never_ live it down.”

It didn’t escape his notice throughout the explanation, that Rock ‘n Roll’s face had very rapidly morphed from touched, to utterly horrified, a shift culminating with a yelled-

 _“Jesus fuck dude!”_ As he was gripping at his own material covered chassis.

“That’s- that’s _messed up!_ Like if I just ripped out a piece of – I dunno, my _heart_ and slapped it on my shoulder! What the _fuck?!”_

Warp couldn’t argue with _that._

He remembered quite well his _own_ reaction to finding out what he was expected to do.

“It was done by a _poet_ so of course it was all about the _metaphors._ Having a piece of your _soul_ permanently moulded by ‘the Cause’.” He snarked.

Skywarp briefly paused when he heard a quiet-

 _“…fuck._ Just – _shit.”_

\- But, upon realising that Rock was just muttering to himself, he continued on with his tirade.

“Course, didn’t _work ou_ t that way. ‘ _The Cause_ ’ was just a lie made by people who wanted power-”

Megatron and Starscream sprung up as primary examples to Skywarp’s bitter mind.

“And even if it wasn’t, we _still_ lost, and our leader gets to go off into space and leave _the rest of us_ to deal with what _he_ started.”

Another aggressive rumble of an engine, as both parties then became quickly aware that they had no idea where to lead on from that.

Both just staring at each other, waiting for the other to say something more about what just been said.

It was Rock who seemed to come up with an idea on what to go forward with first.

“Leaders do shit like that sometimes. Y’get good ones like Scarlett, but _others_ -” His entire posture tensed up then, like somebody bracing for a nasty fight.

 “They pull you up into their club, spout all this crud to make you feel real good and then they forget the memo, ditch and _go off to do a genocide_.” Rock spat out, anger filling his own features.

 _“Fucking Colton_. If I ever get my hands on that bastard-” Hands moved into a wringing motion, as if to wrap around somebody’s neck.

“Tell you what, any of ours try any new shit, the both of us gotta team up to mess with their shit instead. Have each other’s backs.”

Warp made a noncommittal noise, but-

All the same, this was a surprisingly _not bad_ way for the conversation to have turned.

A leader turning genocidal and abandoning you all was the sort of very specific, niche thing that he would never have expected to have much people out of the Decepticons be able to relate too.

And he wasn’t _in contact_ with anyone else in the Decpeticons to talk about it too.

So yeah…this was surprising.

A surprising pleasant surprise.

…Hmm.

…

“But, ‘til then, rather than us both mopin’ around ‘bout it-” Rock made a grunting sound, before forcing himself to stand up.

“Hold on-”

And then he simply starting walking and made his way right towards the door.

Much to the seeker’s alarm.

“Wait! _Where are you going?”_

He just confessed something so fragging personal and _was immediately walked out on?!_

He didn’t even – what could- he- he thought that they were -!

“I’ll be right back. Just wait!”

And then Rock was gone.

Leaving a dejected feeling Warp to his own devices.

He didn’t even try get back into the swing of enjoying the music this time.

He just moped, not entirely sure _why_ he was moping.

But, true to his word, his human _was_ right back.

Walking right through that entrance with something in his hands.

Something that caused Skywarp to straighten up slightly, and consequently butt his helm against the ceiling once more.

“And he returns!”

“He _does._ And he’s been thinking about what y’said and thinks he has an idea.” The contents of Rock’s hands were waved out on display, as he looked up at the seeker fondly.

Now that he was closer, the seeker could actually relatively make out what they were.

Some sort of square and _styluses._

“What are _those_ for?”

“You!”

_“Me?!”_

“Not _on_ you but- well, can’t just laser away your old tats from your past, but if yer wantin’ to move on from that and get on with the now, then why not design something new? Something physical?”

“ _You_ want to put embellishments on _me?!_ ” Skywarp said sceptically.

“Told ya I know how to do tats. And aww crud _, sure_ , materials are _completely_ different, but I can work with it. I’ll practice on a car or somethin’.”  He shrugged, before flipping open the square to reveal sheets of- _oh_. This was that _‘paper’_!

“I’m _not_ going to let you paint me.”

“ _C’mon!_ Think it’ll help. I’ll even get the same if you’re worried about me doing a _crap job_. What you have to put up with I will too.” Rock assured with a goofy grin.

“’Least help me think of some sick designs, if you _were_ to get something.”

Hmph.

_Well._

Didn’t necessarily think he’d do a _bad_ job of it.

He’d seen some of his work already.

Rock was clearly good at this craft.

As creative at body art as he was with _strangely naming_ _battle maneuverers._

Perhaps it wouldn’t be _awful_ to at least…hear any _suggestions_.

“… _Designs_. I’m not promising _anything_ being put on!” He pointed at Rock. “But we can think about designs. Not got anything _else t_ o be doing right now.”

“That’s the spirit!” Was said cheerfully, a thumb being given up around all the styluses.

“Think you could give me a lift up then? So you can get a good look at what I’m doing.”

No surprise was felt that it had once again come down to this.

Still gave a good scoff and optic roll for it though, as he lowered his hand for his human to step onto.

“Can’t put you on a shoulder unless you want smashed into the ceiling, but I can take you higher. Just don’t get your _oils_ all over me.”

“Good enough!”

Rock stepped on and quickly sat down onto the outreached hand, as Warp lifted him all the way up until he was just about right beside his own head.

Optics being able to look right into each other, as Rock reached over to give an affectionate pat to the faceplate itself this time.

“So, jerk, got any ideas?” Rock smiled endearingly at his seeker.

“I don’t know, insect. Do you?” The seeker found this smile of his human strangely infectious.

Just a bit.

The corner of a mouth raised

“Yeah, I do. Think they’ll suit you. Still wanna hear them?”

The other corner raised.  “You’re up _here,_ aren’t you?”

Rock then placed most of the stylus down, before choosing one to pick back up and brandishing it much like one would _a weapon._

_“Then let’s get to work!”_

**Author's Note:**

> They may just be in the planning stages for now, but them actually getting tattoos together some point would probably be their equivalent of a beautiful marriage ceremony


End file.
